Adaptive Video Encoding for Cloud Gaming Latency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current media systems are complex and inefficient, with consumers facing challenges in accessing and enjoying multimedia content due to compatibility issues, obsolescence, and piracy, while game developers and publishers face high costs and piracy concerns, leading to inefficient development and revenue loss.

Innovation Solution

A hosting service architecture where video games and applications are executed on remote servers, reducing the need for local processing power and storage, and using low-latency video compression to stream compressed video and audio directly to client devices, mitigating piracy and hardware upgrade requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Power

If video games and applications are executed locally on consumer hardware, then processing capability and interactivity are improved, but hardware cost and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing capabilityVSAvoidhardware cost
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the computationally intensive game execution and video encoding functions from the consumer's local device and relocates them to remote server infrastructure. The local device only needs to handle input processing and video decoding, significantly reducing hardware requirements while maintaining full game functionality and interactivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a remote server as an intermediary between the user and the game execution environment. The server handles all heavy processing tasks including game logic execution, physics calculations, and real-time video encoding, acting as a mediator that provides high-performance computing resources to consumers without requiring them to own expensive hardware.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple media devices are used to ensure compatibility with different formats, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveformat compatibilityVSAvoidnumber of devices
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the remote server universal by implementing support for multiple game formats, video encoding standards, and resolution configurations on the server side. This allows a single client device to access content in various formats without needing multiple specialized devices, as the server handles format conversion and optimization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of requiring the client device to adapt to different formats through multiple devices, the patent inverts the adaptation function to the server side. The server encodes and transmits content in formats optimized for the specific client device being used, eliminating the need for clients to possess multiple format-capable devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Manufacturing precision

If high-quality video streaming is provided, then image quality is improved, but data transmission requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage qualityVSAvoiddata transmission volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent dynamically changes video encoding parameters including resolution, bitrate, and compression level based on the client device's capabilities and network conditions. The server adjusts these parameters in real-time to deliver the highest possible image quality within the constraints of available bandwidth, optimizing the balance between quality and data transmission volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic video encoding where the server continuously adapts encoding parameters based on real-time feedback about network conditions and device capabilities. This allows the system to maintain high image quality when bandwidth permits while automatically reducing data transmission requirements when network conditions deteriorate, creating a dynamic optimization loop.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Loss of time

If fast video encoding is implemented to reduce latency, then response time is improved, but processing load increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveencoding latencyVSAvoidprocessing load
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the video encoding process into separate processing stages distributed across multiple server components. Different encoding tasks are divided and processed in parallel, allowing the system to maintain fast encoding speeds while distributing the processing load across multiple processors or server instances rather than concentrating it all in one location.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2412166B1System and method for selecting a video encoding format based on feedback data
Publication Date: 2020.05.06 SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA LLC
  • EP2412166B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2412166B1 patent drawingFigure 2a
  • EP2412166B1 patent drawingFigure 2b

AI summary

A computer-implemented system and method for performing video compression are described. For example, a method according to one embodiment of the invention comprises encoding a plurality of video frames or portions thereof according to a first encoding format, transmitting the plurality of encoded video frames or portions to a client device, receiving feedback information from the client device, the feedback information usable to determine whether data contained in the video frames or portions has been successfully received and/or decoded, determining latency associated with communicating with the client device, in response to detecting that one or more video frames or portions thereof have not been successfully received and/or decoded (1) if the latency is above a specified threshold, then encoding a new video frame or portion thereof according to a second encoding format, the second encoding format comprising a format which is not dependent on previously-transmitted video frames or portions thereof